"Money won is twice as sweet as money earned,” – Paul Newman, “The Color of Money”
Great line, and a fine film. I wouldn’t mind killing time in a pool hall today versus sitting at my desk, however, I will probably make more money doing this since my pool playing is rusty, although it improves considerably with two beers in my system before falling off the table when the fourth one comes. Selah.
Anyway, let’s look at the hard stories of the week such as:
Chris Brown was charged with two felonies, including assault likely to cause bodily injury and making criminal threats, according to court documents this week. Additionally, it was reported that Rihanna and Chris Brown have now reconciled following Brown’s alleged assault a few weeks ago.
People and Us Weekly claimed that Brown and Rihanna spent time together in Miami as paparazzi in helicopters buzzed over the private estate trying to get photos.
Meanwhile, I have spent time trying to avoid reading any further stories about this topic – unsuccessfully.
Britney Spears kicked off her first concert tour in five years in New Orleans on Tuesday.
Dressed as a sexy ringmaster and directing a stage performing crew which included jugglers, acrobats and martial arts dancers, Spears performed before a sold-out crowd, and delivered some of her biggest hits from the recent "Womanizer" to her first monster smash "Baby One More Time." 
Spears also took breaks to eat cotton candy and throw peanuts at the elephants, which is easy to do while lip-synching your lyrics.
In other musical news, Phil Collins said this week that he is giving up singing to pursue his continuing passion for the Texas Alamo. Seriously.
Collins, who said he has "hundreds" of cannonballs, documents and other artifacts from the Alamo, was in San Antonio this week in conjunction with the anniversary of the March 1836 battle of the Alamo.
"Basically, now I've stopped being Phil Collins the singer. This has become what I do," he told the San Antonio Express-News.
Meanwhile, Phil Collins fans have drafted a position reading: Regardless of what is In the Air Tonight, please Phil, remember the Sussido.
Michael Jackson announced Thursday that he will play a series of comeback shows in London after a long absence from the concert circuit.
The BBC published pictures of bright orange posters adorned with Jackson's profile advertising 10 shows in July. The King of Pop has not performed a major concert since 2001. 
Jackson has spent the past 8 years trying to find a doctor who can keep his nose and beard from falling off his face as he dances and gyrates.
Miley Cyrus has finished her autobiography – Miles to Go – and the book is set for release.
Cyrus, 16 years old, told People magazine that she hopes her fans will see "that I'm a real person just like them." 
Wrong. Most 16-year-old girls don’t write books about their lives nor do they have a rhyming alter ego named after a mountainous state in the northwestern United States.
Robin Williams cancelled several performances in Florida of his one-man comedy show, "Weapons of Self-Destruction," this week after recently experiencing shortness of breath.
The comedian says in a press release that doctors are evaluating him and recommended a week of rest. 
The doctors also recommend that Williams “calm down” and “stop acting so damn hyper all the time,” but Williams explained he wouldn’t have a show to perform if that were the case.
Reese Witherspoon was featured on the cover of April’s Elle magazine, and told the publication that her divorce was tough.
She described the separation from Ryan Phillippe as “very humiliating and very isolating.”
Phillippe described his participation in “I Know What You Did Last Summer” in the exact same words.
A judge in Atlanta this week dismissed felony drug charges against rapper Lil Wayne.
The Grammy-award winning rapper was arrested in August 2006 at a hotel where police found unmarked bottles containing hydrocodone, a generic form of Xanax, and marijuana. On Tuesday, the judge granted the rapper's request to suppress on the basis of an illegal search as Wayne’s attorney claimed his client wasn't staying in the room where the arrest was made.
Of course not, Wayne was high as a kite, so he was floating above the hotel and sucking on a lollipop.
As always, let’s end on a high note with a gold image or two: 
I hate when I forget to wear pants, however, these things DO happen. So, check yourself twice before leaving your residence, walk confidently regardless of circumstances and . . . Happy Friday!
-BDS
I'll never understand why two beers makes me, you and most everybody else a better pool player.
Who's Chris Brown and Rihanna? Sure, they've been in the news recently, but what are they? Singers? Regardless, papparazzi in helicopters, gimme a break. Celebrities or not, they're people. Leave them alone for crying out loud.
Britney Spears in New Orleans eh. I want to make a joke about comparing Britney to Hurricane Katrina, but I think it's too soon to make a joke about Katrina. The people of New Orleans are still in bad shape and I would not like to make light of their situation. But I would also not like to have them endure a Britney Spears lip-synch performance.
Phil Collins has made more money than God. He can do whatever the heck he'd like. He also has given up more money in alimony than is imaginable. Either way, he's a fabolous drummer and a great performer. However, he's got a history of wrist problems and hearing problems. To continue performing can be difficult for him.
Michael Jackson needs to do some concerts to rebuild his image. He has to remind the world why we became so popular to begin with. He's a great perfomer.
Wow, Miley really looks like her dad. You know, if she went dyke and went to a mullet, you'd never be able to tell the two of them apart.
Robin Williams, just not that funny. Never was.
Ryan Phillipe, did he get any of Reese's Pieces in the divorce settlement? Or did she get his?
That rapper guy, what's the deal with the face tattoos?
Happy Friday!
Congratulations. You've put up a Quick hit Friday that I won't elaborate on in detail. I will say that it IS strange that everyone seems to play pool better after a few beers...to an extent, anyway.
I'm really surprised that Robin Williams ONLY needs a heart "valve replacement". With all the cocaine that guy has done in the past, I'm surprised he's even still alive.
WhatIgot - Excellent detail. So, apparently Brown & Rihanna are quite popular singers/performers, probably good to restrain on Katrina (though Spears looks pretty good from pics I've seen), you know far more about Collins than I ever will, if Jackson can still perform then go for it (though I think it's driven by his lack of money), should have used that Reese's Pieces line somehow & the rapper with the face tattos had one of the highest-selling CDs last year so the ink migh have helped. Happy Friday.
Heff - Finally, stumped the Heff. Ha. You're right about Williams as he inhaled a ton of the white stuff back in the day. The pool thing is a mystery, but also a truism. Have a good weekend.
"better" at pool playing is a relative expresion. My playing is shite. With two beers, it has peanuts in it. But its still shite.
Hae a good weekend.
Great picture of Newman. Love him, love the film. I fall in the 2 beer category as well, then I suck at pool big time!
Chris Brown and Rihanna need parents who will tell them both to get a clue. He needs to keep his hands to himself, she needs to give him the heave-ho.
Welcome back to Brittney's abs. She is a good example of parental intervention.
I too am amazed that Robin Williams is still alive. Bless his defective little heart.
I love Miley Cyrus for the silly little things she says. She was a riot on the Oscar red carpet, and I don't think it was intentional.
And as always .... Happy Friday!
Getoffmylawn - It is a sliding scale, and very relative. But the peanut description gave me a laugh. Ha. Happy Friday up North.
Linda - Totally agree about Newman and 'Money,' Rihanna might finally give Brown the heave after the story I saw this morning on CNN about the court documents (ugly), I'm happy for the return of Spears' abs, Williams is best in small doses for me but I wish him a speedy recover, and Happy Friday to you.
I can play 4 beer pool/ bowling & darts then all bets are off!! Ha!
Happy Friday!
Wow, bizzy week in Tabloid World. I think of all your "hits", the Miley Cyrus book is the one that burns me the most (and I know Wendy will have something to say about it too.) Do I need to know what's in the mind of a 16 year old? Hell, no.
Chris Brown and Rihanna; just plain sad.
I rented HAMLET 2 last weekend - weird, quirky and funny movie. It's worth the rental.
Have a great weekend - go buy a new phone. :-)
Sigh. I remember when I saw Genesis in concert. I remember when Michael Jackson was cute. I remember when 16-year-olds didn't get book deals. At least Paul Newman never disappointed me.
Heheh. Just saw Boxer's comment.
Michael Jackson frightens me.
Nobich - You're right about lumping bowling & darts into that mix. I just played darts last weekend at a pub & was surprsingly good w/ around 4 beers myself. Ha. Happy Friday.
Boxer - I agree 100% about Cyrus (and thought of Wendy too)or any 16-year-old for that matter. The Brown story is sad and ugly and fairly brutal from some details I saw on CNN this morning. Thanks for the 'Hamlet 2' plug as I actually passed it by last week and thought I should probably rent that sometime but couldn't decide to flip the switch to yes (rented RocknRolla instead which was only OK). Happy Friday. The phone will have to wait until next week. Ha.
Wendy - I actually thought of you when I found the Cyrus story earlier this week, and meant to check if you had posted about it. Ha. And Newman never disappoints anyone . . . at least nobody I know. Have a great weekend.
Native Minnow - Me too & every time I post a picture like that, it only makes the situation scarier. Happy Friday.
The Rihanna-Brown story just makes me sad. *sigh*
I have the same 2 beer pool playing rule. After that it's all downhill. ha
I think I'd pay for Michael Jackson to just stay home and not perform. Have a good weekend :)
Bostonpobble - Yep. It's just sad & ugly & gets even more so nearly ever time I hear about it.
Jlee - Maybe we should host a two-beer pool tournament, eh? Everyone seems to feel that is their best playing, so people would probably be willing to pony up money. Ha. Hope you had a good weekend.
When the civilized world comes to realize that you're a reprehensible leftist pervert who lost the ability to sing decades ago, you can always sell concert tickets to the English.
One suspects Amy Winehouse's corpse will sell-out Wembley Stadium a few years from now.